A spectacle lens of the type set forth at the outset is known from WO 99/34248 A1. A spectacle lens with holographic optical elements (HOE) lying one above the other is described therein. Here, the holographic optical elements form a volume grating, by means of which the light incident on the spectacle lens at a certain angle of incidence is diffracted, leading to deflection of the light, incident on the spectacle lens, for this angle of incidence.
WO 2014/064163 A1 describes a spectacle lens with a multiplicity of light-diffracting zones, which have a different refractive power.
Spectacle lenses in the form of refractive progressive lenses allow an observer suffering from a visual impairment to be able to observe objects arranged at different distances with a more or less sharp visual impression, even if the accommodation capability of the eyes of this observer is no longer there, for example, due to old age, or greatly limited.
Visual zones are usually defined for the configuration of refractive progressive lenses. These visual zones relate to regions of the surface of a progressive lens penetrated by the viewing direction of an observer. If the observer peers through different visual zones, this observer can see objects at different object distances in focus, without an eye requiring accommodation herefor.
Refractive progressive lenses generally have a distance zone which, when these lenses are used as intended, is penetrated by the viewing direction of an eye of an observer peering into the distance. When peering through the distance zone, the objects arranged at infinity for the observer should be imaged in focus on the retina. Moreover, refractive progressive lenses usually also have a so-called near zone in addition to the distance zone, the near zone being spaced apart from the distance zone and, when the progressive lens is used as intended, being peered through by an observer with a maximum accommodation in order to observe objects arranged at a near distance (for example, 40 cm) in front of the eyes.
Progressive lenses often have a so-called progression channel between the near zone and the distance zone. This progression channel connects the distance zone to the near zone. The refractive power of the progressive lens differs locally in the progression channel. In order to provide a wide visual field to an observer with the progressive lens, attempts are made, as a matter of principle, for the progression channel to be as wide as possible. However, the obtainable width of the progression channel is restricted due to the differential geometric Minkwitz theorem. A consequence of this mathematical theorem is that an observer must accept non-correctable astigmatic imaging aberrations with increasing width of the progression channel, that is, an astigmatism caused by the Minkwitz theorem. Thus, fundamental limits are placed on the imaging quality of refractive progressive lenses and on the possible extent of the near region zone and distance region zone of refractive progressive lenses.